Beverages are often stored in larger containers for distribution from places of manufacture to places of consumption. These places of consumption include bars, restaurants, and other business establishments, where the beverages are transferred from the storage containers, as for example beer kegs, through dispensers, such as beer taps, into smaller containers, such as mugs or glasses, for consumption by individuals.
The process of transferring a beverage from a storage container to smaller containers inevitably results in the loss of some amount of the beverage, as the beverage is repeatedly dispensed into one container after another. A portion of the beverage may splash against the sides and to the outside of the container as the container is filled. A portion of the beverage may also fall completely outside of the container as the container is moved into position below the dispenser, filled, and then moved away from the dispenser.
The process is particularly troublesome for gaseous or foamaceous beverages, as the gases form bubbles in the beverage and the bubbles escape, creating a foam or fizz at the top of the beverage liquid and increasing the likelihood that some of the beverage will be lost. The most common type of gaseous beverage is the carbonated beverage, which contains carbon dioxide dissolved in water. Beverages may be artificially carbonated, such as when carbon dioxide is introduced into sodas to give them a fizzy sensation; beverages may also be naturally carbonated, such as when carbon dioxide is introduced to beer through the process of fermentation.
The formation of foam or fizz from the escape of bubbles to the top of a beverage is called a “head.” A certain size of head may be desired by the individuals consuming the carbonated beverage, as they consider the head to be indicative of a particular aroma, aesthetic, or other quality of the beverage. However, these same individuals may view a relatively large head as undesirable, as the head detracts from the volume of the beverage liquid they consume.
A relatively large head is also viewed as undesirable by the person dispensing the beverage into a container. The head increases the likelihood that some of the beverage may splash against the side or fall outside the container as it is filled. The head also increases the amount of time required to serve the beverage, as the person dispensing the beverage waits a longer time between dispensing the liquid into each container to allow time for the head on each beverage to dissipate.
The retailers selling beverages at places of consumption desire to achieve a quicker and more efficient means of delivering beverages in containers for consumption by their patrons, but the retailers may also be concerned with the cost of any device required to achieve this desire.